For Survival's Sake
by LadyDeb1970
Summary: A newlywed couple and their children are among those caught up in the 2015 Jurassic World incident. Only by trusting in each other and themselves will they survive the Main Street Attack and escape the island.


Author's Notes: I don't know about y'all, but after seeing _Jurassic World_ , something that wouldn't leave my mind was the sight of all those tourists on Main Street after the northern sector of the park was evacuated. I mean, yeah, there were shops and restaurants on Main Street, and just before the Main Street attack, we saw people in those shops and restaurants as well as sitting on the curb. And because my mind is a VERY weird place, I've been mulling over it ever since I saw the movie again last weekend. So. Here's the experience of one family in Jurassic World on that day, not tied to Claire Dearing, her nephews, or even Owen Grady (though the latter does appear in the story, albeit briefly, and his last line in the movie provided the title of the story).

Disclaimers: _Jurassic World_ , its predecessor _Jurassic Park_ , and all the characters we know and love from the franchise do not belong to me, they belong to Universal. I'm just borrowing them for a short time. The Clayton family, on the other hand, does belong to me. I seriously doubt, given how short this story will be, that anyone will ask to borrow any of them … however, if that unlikely possibility does occur, I have no objections, as long as you ask first, give credit where due, and return them to me intact (unscathed ain't gonna happen in the Jurassic Park World).

Part One

A Matter of Trust

Jurassic World

Isla Nublar

February 2015

"Let's go to Jurassic World, they said. It'll be _fun_ , they said."

Skylar Clayton smiled wearily as she leaned into her husband's side, even though she wasn't entirely sure why she was smiling. It was hot, she was exhausted, the pavement was hard under her butt, and her oldest nephew was whining. Again. She didn't point out to him that up until they were notified that all attractions in the northern section (including the Gyrosphere, where they were in line) were being shut down and all visitors needed to return to the center of the park, they were having fun … even him. Nor did she point out that he invited himself, all but begging to come with them and even getting her former sister-in-law in on the act. Her husband of four months, however, had no such filter, bluntly pointing out, "Up until we were pulled back here, everyone _was_ having fun, Remy … and _you_ wanted to come, so quit whinging." Skye's four year old step-daughter Allora, currently nestled in Skye's lap, giggled into her chest. Of course she did.

"Daddy, can we go inside?" eleven year old Maya asked, as Remy grumbled under his breath. He was twenty-three, a recent college graduate and intent on driving everyone in the family crazy. He clashed not just with the males on Skye's side of the family, but with her new husband. Yannathan was retired from the Australian SAS, and he wasn't especially impressed with Remy's attitude or behavior … nor with Remy's mother. Then again, no one was impressed with Lenore, who always defined 'over-indulgent.' She didn't discipline Remy while he was growing up and no one else was allowed to, either. Besides, Yann fought for everything he had from the time he was a small boy … whether it was the respect of those around him or custody of his daughters. He didn't know how to give up, and Remy's complaining was as alien to him as Skye's love having no strings. No strings, no quests … quite a difference from his first wife.

"Give it a few more minutes, hon," Skye counseled, adjusting her hold on her middle step-daughter, seven year old Jannali. The little girl made a small sound of discomfort and Skye kissed the top of her head, murmuring, "What is it, sweetheart?" Jannali scooted closer to her, squirming in a very familiar way. Skye winced, because she remembered those painful dances from her own childhood, and told her husband, "I think we should go inside anyhow." Yann raised a dark eyebrow, and Skye mouthed, 'potty break.'

Yann cringed, but answered, "Right, then. We'll head inside. Skye, once you're done, meet back up at the dino holo? Maybe wander around the Innovation Center while we wait?" They both knew it was extremely unlikely that part of the park would re-open … for the two adults, it was less about waiting to return for the Gyrosphere and more about waiting for the ferry. Not that they were about to tell the kids that … any of them. All three little girls nodded eagerly, while Remy just rolled his eyes. Skye ignored him, swinging Jannali onto her hip, rolling her eyes when Allora wrapped her arms around her thigh and legs around her calf. Well, it was better than trying to give her a piggy-back ride. Yann just smirked, asking, "Got a light?"

Skye stuck her tongue out at her husband and took Maya's hand. Jerk. He'd been spending entirely too much time with her father. The smirk turned into a grin and he leaned forward to steal a kiss from her, before nudging her and her three limpets toward the Innovation Center. The six made their way through the throngs of people lining Main Street who, like the Clayton family, were evacuated back here. Skye still didn't know what happened, but whispered as she slipped her free hand into Yann's, "What do you think about going to Atlantis in the Bahamas for our actual honeymoon?"

He snickered and whispered back, "Love, I think that's the best idea you've had since you floated the option of staying on the mainland!" He kissed her again as they headed into the Innovation Center, ignoring Remy's gagging. Skye smiled into the kiss … really, given the prices of the hotel on Isla Nublar, staying in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica and then taking the ferry to the island itself made a lot more sense. Besides, that gave them more money to play with on their actual honeymoon. This was … well, it was originally intended to be a family honeymoon for the newlyweds and the three girls, but as usual with both the Clayton and Hendricks families, plans never quite worked out as intended … this time, thanks to Skye's side of the family. As they approached the giant doors of the Innovation Center, Yann added, "Only this time, I think we'll leave the kids with your Irish twin and sister-in-law."

Skye snorted at that, murmuring, "Do you mean Remy or the girls? Because I don't mind taking the girls, but I don't think Adrian would appreciate having Remy dumped on him." That drew another laugh as Yann squeezed her hand lightly. She murmured as she caught sight of the ladies' room, "Meet you at the dino holo … text me if there's anything I need to know before we come back out." She started to drop his hand, but Yann spun her around and kissed her quite thoroughly … much to the amusement of the three little girls and her nephew's obvious disgust. Bastard. He did that on purpose. He smirked at her and headed toward the dino holo in question, grabbing Remy by the scruff of his neck as he did.

But Jannali's squirming was getting more pronounced, so she stumbled into the ladies' room, setting the little girl down as she did so. Her middle step-daughter ran to the first available stall, and Maya took the next, while Allora released her grip on Skye's leg. And, of course, because that was the way life worked, the next available stall was … at the very end. Skye rolled her eyes and made her way to that stall, telling Allora, "You can go first, honey … I need to text Grandma and Grandpa. Haven't done that yet today."

"You come in with me!" Allora insisted, pulling her into the stall. Skye started to protest, and then thought about the logistics of the girls being outside the stall while she did her own business, and agreed. She closed the stall door behind them, kept an eye on her step-daughter long enough to make sure Allora had things under control, and then turned her attention to digging her cell phone out of her purse. _Should have gone with my first instinct_ , she thought _, and put everything in my travel wallet this morning. Next time._ She keyed in a quick text message to her parents _, 'everything fine, having a great time, Yann hasn't strangled Remy … yet.'_ The toilet flushing drew her attention back to Allora, who beamed up at her with a bright, "All done!"

Skye grinned back and handed a wet-wipe to her youngest step-daughter before guiding Allora to the door with a hand on her head, and murmured, "Okay, give me five minutes … would you like to play with my phone in the meantime?" Allora's dark eyes lit up and she bobbed her head happily. She had a sudden mental image of herself at five or six, being entertained during a wait. Where were they? Phantasialand, when Dad was stationed at Spangdahlem? Skye shook her head and shook off the memories at the same time. Allora was singing under her breath and smiled brightly as Skye flushed the toilet. The two made their way to the sinks, where they found a very relieved looking Jannali, washing her hands on her tiptoes. Skye picked up Allora so she could wash her hands properly, and glanced over her shoulder to check on Maya. Her eldest step-daughter emerged at last, looking every bit as relieved as her sister. Hmm. The poor kid needed this as badly as Jannali did, evidently.

"Mumma, what's that noise?" Jannali asked, frowning. Skye jolted, as she always did when the girls called her that, but listened intently. Why did that sound familiar? And then her blood ran cold as it registered. How could she have forgotten that oh-so-distinctive sound? She heard it too many times while growing up in Oklahoma: sirens to alert the populace to an oncoming tornado. Here in Jurassic World, amid living dinosaurs of all things, that couldn't be a good sign. At the same time, her phone vibrated in her hand, warning her that a message was received. Reluctantly, she looked away from her step-daughters to check out whatever that message was. Alarmingly, it was only two words, from her husband: **STAY PUT**!

Between Yann's warning and the siren overhead, there was no way Skye was arguing with that. Other women were racing outside to see what was happening, but Skye told her step-daughters, "Something is happening outside. Your dad wants us to stay here until it's been resolved. We need to go back into a stall, okay? One that isn't close to the windows." She had sudden memories of being Maya's age and crowding into the girls' room at school during a tornado drill. Only this time, it wasn't a drill and what they faced was even deadlier and more unpredictable than a tornado. Maya was staring at her suspiciously, but did as she was told. Her two younger sisters followed suit and Skye typed out a quick response: _Understood. Be safe. I love you_. With her husband reassured that she would remain where she was, Skye put her arms around her step-daughters, as much for her own reassurance as theirs … and waited.

JWJWJWJWJW

Yannatan Clayton didn't grow up in Tornado Alley, but the sound of a siren was never welcome news. He quietly gave thanks that his wife realized that the girls needed to use the bathroom; that simple recognition got them inside the relative safety of the Innovation Center before the threat was discovered, whatever that threat was. Skye's nephew muttered, "What the hell is going on?" He was heading for the doors, ignoring the warnings to remain inside. Rolling his eyes, Yann pressed 'send' on his text to Skye and grabbed Remy by his collar again, dragging him away from the hoards of people heading for the doors and ignoring the warnings to remain inside. The boy snarled at him, "What the hell is your problem, old man?"

"Listen, you little idiot! That siren we're hearing? It means something has gone horribly wrong, and you do _not_ want to be outside right now! I've already texted your aunt Skye to stay put … I suggest you keep your self-centered arse inside where it's safe!" Yann fired back, keeping his voice low. He and the boy glowered at each other for several moments … and then Remy looked away. Yann said more quietly, "Whatever is happening out there, joining a group of panicking tourists isn't going to help. We have to be smart, or we'll just add to the trouble."

"Aren't you going out there?" the younger man asked. But he sounded curious, rather than accusing, and for that, he would get an honest answer. The truth was, Yann actually thought about it. He did. He was a protector, after all, and he was hard-wired to keep other people safe. But … this wasn't a mission, and he didn't know the protocols … nor did he know the men and women on duty here. His responsibility, when all was said and done, was to keep his wife and daughters safe. And Remy as well … he was also Yann's responsibility.

"If it was just me … I would consider it. But it isn't just me … and more than that, I don't know what the protocols are for the situation. I could easily make things worse in an effort to help. The toughest thing to learn for a man like me is that sometimes, the best thing you can do to help is just stay out of the way. I know … oh my God," Yann breathed. He had tried not to imagine what was happening outside, what triggered the siren. It wasn't good, whatever it was. In a place like Jurassic World, using that siren was something you did as a last resort.

Under normal circumstances, alongside one of the panels of glass that surrounded the Innovation Center was the last place he would have taken up position, for any reason … but due to the way their current shelter was built, there weren't a lot of choices to be had. He lightly touched Remy's shoulder and inclined his head toward the window. The younger man rolled his eyes and looked toward the windows … and Yann had the immense pleasure of seeing the same shock he was feeling on appear Remy's face. He forced out, "Those are …" Yann nodded, and Remy went on, shock now turning to horror, "And they got _out_?"

"So it would seem. For now, we stay inside, at least until park security has things under control. Once they give the all clear, we'll leave and head for the dock. I imagine the island is gonna be evacuated anyhow. If those birds are on the loose, I have a bad feeling they aren't the only things," Yann observed. Remy was staring at him, looking more than a little lost, and Yann explained patiently, "Read over the information about the aviary … in order for those things to get out, the dome had to have been breached." Remy's complexion reminded him of soured milk, and Yann felt a bit bad for being so hard on the kid. But … no. No, Remy was twenty-three years old, and he couldn't be a kid any more, especially not with all hell breaking loose outside.

And the young man's eyes were focused on him, so Yann continued, "When we get the all clear, we're gonna move as fast as we can. That means I'll need you to carry one of the girls. Doesn't matter which one, although I'm pretty sure Allora will decide she wants to be with your aunt." The corners of Remy's mouth quirked …. Yeah, he'd noticed that Allora adored her new step-mother as well. Which was good, because Skye adored her right back. The boy's lips pursed, and Yann pushed, "Go ahead, ask whatever it is you want to ask me."

"Why did you tell Aunt Skye to stay in the ladies room?" Remy asked, the words all but exploding from him. Yann glanced around them … the initial rush to leave the relative safety of the Innovation Center was slowing down, and more people were looking around with lost expressions. Yann wondered how they would alert the remaining tourists that it was safe to leave the Center. Hopefully, they would be better prepared than that poor kid at the Gyrosphere. Yann didn't ordinarily throw his weight around, but stepping in once the announcement was made was the right thing to do. The ride was closed for a reason … the question was, were the escaping birds that reason? There was no way to know for certain, but he doubted it.

And he still had a question to answer. Yann explained, "You saw how people were rushing to get out of here when the sirens went off?" Remy nodded, and Yann went off, "Now, imagine her trying to keep hold of all three girls in that crowd. If she was in the wrong place, it would have been far too easy for her to be swept along by the crowd if she'd been out here. In the ladies room, she can barricade herself and the girls in one of the stalls if need be. They're as safe as anyone can be. In fact …" Yann removed his mobile from its place on his hip, and tapped a text to his wife, observing, **We're along the wall beside the men's room. Safe for now**.

Of course, 'safe' was really an illusion, but his wife understood. For now, the immediate danger was passed. She and the girls wouldn't get trampled during their exit from the ladies' room, or swept along outside without knowing what was going on, or get separated in the melee. Whatever happened from here on out, they could face it as a family.

Within seconds, Skye responded, _Understood. On our way out. Love you_. Yann smiled to himself and typed back, **Love you too. Thank you for listening**. More to the point, thank you for trusting me. And yes, it was a matter of trust, at least for him. Skye trusted his ability to protect her and their family, and more than that, she trusted in his instincts … as well as her own. Yann hadn't forgotten her stories about growing up in Tornado Alley. He knew that she knew those sirens meant trouble. One thing he learned from being around Skye's parents … his new in-laws had been married for over fifty years, and successful marriages were the ones where the two partners worked together. That was the sort of marriage he hoped he was building with Skye. What happened today gave him hope that they were on the right track.

TBC


End file.
